Soldier Accounted For From World War II (Middlekauff, R.) – Welcome home, Pfc. Raymond H. Middlekauff. Honored to have researched your family.

The Family Tree of Pharrell Williams and Why He Almost Didn’t Exist – Several weeks ago, I posted to ask folks help me get from 900 to 1,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel, and ya’ll responded like crazy! I’m now up to 1,271 subscribers, a 41% increase!

I know it’s out of sight, out of mind, so I’ve decided to periodically post a particular video to give y’all an idea of what’s on there.

This one – about Pharrell Williams’ roots – is one of my favorites. For one thing, he loved it! For another, it showcases one of those pockets of American history that many don’t know about – the American Colonization Society and the (partially successful) effort to send “free blacks” (i.e., those who secured their freedom before Emancipation) in America to Liberia. Nat Turner is also a factor in this tale about an intriguing ancestor of Pharrell’s, Ambrose Hawkins.

I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please consider sharing it. Thanks!

Ancestry to lay off 6% of workforce because of a slowdown in the consumer DNA-testing market – First 23andMe and now Ancestry. Tough days for the genetic genealogy market.

Griffis: Happy birthday, Mr. President! – Some kind words from Joan Griffis who has been writing about genealogy for as long as I can remember. I think we first connected way back when my first book was published!

Genetic Family Reunion: DNA Reveals Alex Haley’s Scottish Roots – Thought I’d share this trip down genetic genealogy memory lane from my YouTube channel. Alex Haley’s nephew DNA testing. Cool update: Even though this was 11 years ago, Chris Haley and his cousin June Black remain close and just recently got together in London. Family is family!

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